276 ANNUAL REPOKT 



business. We have on during the year, I suppose, four hundred 

 or five hundred men. Some fail and some make a success of it. 

 I don't care how conscientious a man may be, how close he may 

 try to look after his business, it is utterly impossible for him to 

 watch all the acts or remarks of his agents. 



Mr. Cutler. I would like to inqui ve if Mr. May has not been 

 informed that his agents have misrepresented as to the stock 

 that he sells ? 



Mr. May. Yes, sir; we have. But what right have you to 

 expect anything more than what the order calls for? That is 

 the fault of the purchaser. The orders are plainly written and 

 printed. They should know what they sign. 



Mrs. Stager. I want to say that a good deal of this fruit is 

 sold to men and women that don't understand the language, and 

 any sort of writing they can not read at all. Up our way there 

 are a good many foreigners and they have to depend on the 

 agent in what they buy. Therefore, he ought to have agents 

 he could depend on. 



Mr. May. Well, as I say, it is difficult to get them. 



Mr. Cutler. Mr. President, the acknowledgment he has just 

 made is sufficient to condemn him in any part of this State. He 

 has acknowledged that his agents have misrepresented. 



Mr. May. Suppose I did; what of that? , 



Mr. Cutler. With this knowledge you have allowed these 

 men to go on ? 



Mr. May. Excuse me, how^ do you know 1 



Mr. Cutler. Under the law you are responsible for the acts 

 of your agents. 



Mr. May. I am responsible for my contracts. 



Mr. Cutler. He has acknowledged he is selling stock grown 

 and raised in New York, such stock as was condemned by this 

 Society years ago. His whole statement here, it seems to me^ 

 condemns the firm; that is the way it looks to me, and I think 

 the Society, to do justice to itself, will put itself on record in 

 opposition to the transactions of this firm, or any firm selling 

 Eastern stock, representing it to be grown in this State. Two 

 years ago there was some $6,000 worth of stock sold in our 

 county by the ''chain nurseries." This work has been going 

 on year after year. Five or six years ago agents from Day- 

 ton, Ohio, swindled the people of this State out of thou- 

 sands of dollars. Are we to allow these things to go on and allow 

 innocent persons to be imposed upon? I consider it equal, if 



